Riders of the Void
by Gearworks
Summary: What lies between galaxies in the empy space? Luke and Leia find out. text version based on old 1980 comic. 2 omake at end. possible starter for other story crossovers. considered canon, but often ignored. omake 2 naruto crossover to star wars. comic was filler before empire strikes back took place.


**alert1** - this is not for profit Lucas owns whatever Disney did not buy

**alert2 **- this was kind of a filler episode/issue for the comic, and a standalone story, dream of the crossovers

**alert3 **- based on the 1980 comic produced by marvel authorized by Lucas (frankly I haven't seen anything reprinted, it may be out of copyright)

**alert4 **- emphasis is handled oddly in comics, all text was capitals(shouting for the web), also emphasis was handled by making some text bold (EXAMPLE="I don't **like** it!") many people put extra emphasis on specific words as they talk

think of this as a yeast starter for other stories as of yet I have not seen any fanfiction using earlier material (comics) in their stories

and now the story

* * *

**Long ago in a galaxy far, far away...**

**there exists a state of cosmic civil war**

**A brave alliance of underground freedom fighters**

**has challenged the tyranny and oppression**

**of the awesome galactic empire**

**this is their story!**

* * *

a habitable planet of land and seas rotates below, with a large orbiting moon edging behind the planet sets the stage for the opening drama

.

TIE fighters fly as if hawks for a hunting, the Imperial Star Destroyer following behind the TIEs and prey.

the target a twin front pod spice freighter laden with cargo.

ordinarily a lone spice tanker flying the outworld trade routes is of small concern to the empire...

.

but ordinarily, such a tanker doesn't have its holds lined with medical supplies bound for the rebel alliance...

or two prominent members of the rebellion at its helm

.

a female voice shrills in the pilots cockpit

"Luke...! we've been **betrayed!**"

* * *

her face holding surprised outraged shock at the situation Leia watches Luke piloting the freighter

"I should have known those smugglers were playing a **double game** when they let us have those supplies at a bargain!"

calmly focused on piloting with grim focus

"Don't worry, princess-"

.

the freighter shifting and sliding as energy bolts from the first of the two TIE fighters slam the rear shields

"-another second or so dodging their laser bolts and we can make the jump to hyperspace."

"Get ready, Leia. I'm going to punch it-"

.

"-**now!**" Luke's fingers hammering the button for the hyperdrive

shots from the second fighter slam into the freighter hull

"Luke! that blast pierced the rear shield!"

.

in the cabin a console bursts apart sparks exploding across the rebels

"and maybe a lot **more**-"

.

"-but we're makin' the **jump** and right now that's **all** that counts!"

stars streak by faster and faster

brave words...

* * *

...but spoken a bit too soon! for as the small transport craft leaps into faster-than-light speeds...

.

consoles sparking, blowing apart the cabin screams with engine and hyperdrive feedback

.

hands working the controls grimacing pain on Luke's face as leia's hands covering her ears

"I-it feels like we're shaking **apart**...! every **circut** is blowing...! let's get **out** of this!"

"I'm **trying**...! but... instruments are going crazy... nothing's responding... like it should!"

.

still, the young star warrior fights to manually override the shipboard computer system! until...

"...**got** it! we're dropping back to sub-light!"

beyond the windows of the cabin only dark black can be seen

.

holding her head in pain, leia sagged against the console

damaged systems sparking to the rear

"Thank the force...!"

puzzled confusion on his face, Luke's eyes roam the windows

"Uh... I'm not so certain the force was **with** us, princess."

"That hit we took definitely affected the **hyperdrive**. we've jumped way to fast-"

.

empty space showing darkness without even a glimmer of stars to the naked eyes

"-and much too **far!**"

"The **stars**...! they're gone! w-we're **beyond** the galaxy... lost somewhere in the **void!**"

.

consoles still sparking from damage in the background

lukes eyes roam the windows hunting for any details

"And I had to kill all **power** to stop us. It'll take major repairs to get us going again."

"I'll try the **emergency beacon**, but we're bound to be **light years** from any kind of-"

.

dressed in long loose clothing, Leia spots a distant star

"Luke...! there's **something**... one star I didn't **see** before!"

pointing off past the starboard hull

* * *

suddenly, the ship's communicator crackles to life overhead.

"hee hee hee ha ha ha ha ha heh heh heh"

crazed laughter pours through the speaker

"Our beacon's getting a response. but what..."

.

shifting like lightning the point of light

moves from going past, to moving at their ship

.

surprise covering Luke's face

"The star...?! it's **moving**, Leia...! **fast**-"

.

"Much **too** fast-"

the star closes on the freighter

details showing it to be a mass of green bubbles with pods

.

luminous, a mammoth organism of flowing curves, tendrils and psudopods overshadows their freighter

"-to be a **star** at all!"

"Luke, it looks..**alive**! but... that can't **be!** not out here! there must be some other answer-"

.

Luke and Leia instinctivly flinch and recoil from the windows as instinct has them try to dodge the collision

as light from the juggernaught's pod floods the cabin

"I sure **hope **so, princess! 'cause **whatever **it is-"

* * *

tendrils separating from the surface of one pod bubble, opening a mouth like pit

"-it seems to be **swallowing** us!" Luke shouts,

gaping the freighter slides inwards into the pod as the tendrils curve and coil around the freighter

.

almost instantly...

...any fears are lost to...wonder.

their eyes gazing out the windows, awed amazement paints both their faces

.

curving walls supporting flowing pods vague in their design yet similar to past equipment seen and used

for a time, they stare in silence. then training and instinct snap them back. even with their main power shut down...

...limited readings can be made.

.

"The atmosphere's **compatable**...at least as far as **breathing **is concerned."

their ship touches down as the automated systems extend the ships landing gear sensing the approaching landing

.

the ships ramp drops to the orange green floor

luke is off the ship first, hands loose and free yet ready to grab gun or saber off weapon belt at need

"Kind'a like a ship's hold...or docking bay, Leia. only-"

"There's this strange **flow **to everything! the equipment, the machinery...almost **organic**. as if-"

Leia cautiously steps down the ramp watching the area

"-it had **grown **here! the whole place practically **pulses **with a life of its own, Luke-"

* * *

at the base of the landing ramp, snorts, leans her shortrifle on her hip, eyes luke while watching the area

"-and though it may sound just a touch provincial for a former senator and a seasoned intergalactic traveler-"

"-I don't **like **it."

.

confidence returning, Leia walks towards Luke

"In fact, I get a very uncomfortable feeling of being watched...or being studied."

.

Hands resting on hips near his equipment belt, Luke turns to Leia

"Well, **something **definitely brought us here. but if its purpose was to **harm **us-"

"-it surely would've done it before now."

.

**"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"**

startled both look up and around as

the laughter seems to flow all around them...

.

and then...

the orange floor softens like mud under the two, sucking them below

the madness begins.

.

Luke drops through the floor, falling like a stone

****** "************Leia**aaaaa"

.

Leia with her own set of problems, slides down an open chute

"Luke! where **are **you? **Luke?!**"

* * *

"All right Leia Organa...calmly does it."

small forms glide out of the floor behind her as she picks herself up off the floor from the end of the conveyor slide

.

"If our laughing host thinks you're more **vulnerable **separated from Luke, he, she, or it better-"

long brown whip like forms arc toward her left shoulder

.

inborn instinct of unknown monsters causes her to look over her left shoulder sensing motion

.

"heeheeheeheeheeheehee"

Leia begins to shoot rapidly at the dozen brown tendrils curving toward her

.

for Luke

the fall ends as all falls must..with **impact**.

cushioned...

.

padding keeping him from breaking and keeping him alive

...but all the same, stunning.

still, he is young, his body is strong...

.

...and his senses are honed by the ways of the force.

"W-who...?"

warily Luke lifts his head looking right

.

Luke tumbles left scrambling to dodge

**shraaakk!**

a red lightsaber slices into the pad where Luke had been

* * *

after the first surprise strike failed, a humanoid robotic droid form flows out of the shadows of the room

"Fast reactions...I like that. good. good. challenge makes it interesting."

double handed, it swings at Luke crouched on the floor

.

"Like the **saber **too. fun analyzing it. duplicating it. good touch."

only lukes kneeling position allows his desparate block to hold vs the overhead strike

"Too bad it's all over so-"

.

eye covers opening wide, the droid looks surprised for a split-second

"Killing stroke **blocked?** not sure that's fair...so many variations at once."

.

"Something should be saved for **next **time...time after that."

"What kind of droid are you...? fighting...babbling like it's a **game?**"

using a left double hand swing from floor's edge to shoulder, tries to open Luke up from hip to shoulder

.

"You've got to stop...before one of use is **destroyed!**"

"Emotional appeal? old trick...hoary. unworthy."

arm and shoulder curving, the droid attempts a hip strike, only to be blocked

luke uses a shoulder to hip angled block, the droids strength forcing him to use both hands

.

"No fun. no fun at all. best to simply **end **this-"

gliding past lukes right side dodging his attack

the droid curves and spins, lightsaber raised high

.

Luke twists, blocking the high strike coming from directly overhead with both hands

"-**now**!"

* * *

thrown to rest against the near wall for a moment

'I-it **nearly **did! seems to analyze and adjust constantly to my moves-'

'-and the longer we battle, the **better **it gets!'

teeth gritted, Luke pushes from the wall, returning to the fight

.

'I won't be **alive **to help Leia...if I don't do something **fast!**'

beginning with a high head-shoulder strike, blocked by the droid

.

Luke slides past the droids right side using momentum spinning left away from the droid

"A **missed stroke!** you wouldn't leave yourself **open **like that unless-"

hesitation, suspicion of deceit, no longer than a heartbeat...

...but long enough for Luke to whirl..and win!

.

the droid dies...

spinning in place, inertia torquing allowing him to swing past the droids blade

the sabre severs the droids head, dropping the droid to the floor

...but the voice which spoke through it still screams on.

.

"Impossible! **impossible!** it's not in the **programming **for you to win, only if-"

"You're **_real! you exist! _**enemies! **enemies!** enemies in the **ship!**"

looking around Luke confused after surviving the droid

.

the shrieking sounds throughout the mecho-organic vessel, rising in volume, in sheer hysteria.

"The ship is **mine**... the ship is **me!**"

Leia in another room, is pinned to the floor, tendrils on arm, chest, waist and leg

hearing the screaming voice is shocked as she's trying to free herself from the grasping tentacles

.

"No one **else **belongs! **no one! **no one!"

a breach opens to the vacuum of space...

wind picks up as the air fron the ship surges out the created breach

.

...sucking out the atmosphere with hurricane fury, and caught within the howling gale...

...Luke is pulled toward the airless void somewhere beyond!

flying backwards Luke flies, pulled by the winds, hands and feet only momentarily in contact

with the floor from moment to moment desperate, trying to get a grip, or catch on anything

even as the droids head bounces next to him, pulled by the airflow

* * *

he is not **alone.**

"Out...**out!** I am the ship...the ship must **survive!**"

"w-wind is **impossible **to fight...!"

Leia is ripped free by the howling gale winds

"Oh, Luke..**Luke!** where **are **you."

.

somewhere ahead, plunging toward doom...

Luke dodging the flailing body of the droid spinning and tumbling down the hallway, glances forward

'That **column**...! if I can angle my body **toward **it-'

.

bodily Luke slams into the pillar

"**aaagh**"

its painful, but...it succeeds.

.

'air currents will **hold **me here as long as I don't move too-'

eyes narrowed aginst the winds shifting pressures, spots motion

'**no!** **behind **me-'

.

Flying out of control down the hall, unable to even slow her speed by friction

"-**it's ****Leia!"**

**.**

pushing out both arms, fighting against the winds, Luke reaches with all his strength

"This way princess...twist this way!"

"Then I can grab-"

.

perhaps only the force or luck allowing

"-your **hand!**"

Leia's left hand slams into Luke's and for the moment holding

.

as Leia's weight and momentum pulls Luke from the pillar wall

"Luke! let **go!** you'll be pulled along **with **me!"

his right arm wraps around a equipment pod, as his feet slide trying to keep purchase on the pillar

"I won't let you **die**...I **won't!**"

* * *

"**Please **Luke...! save **yourself!** please!"

desperation written in her wide eyes, as her weight shifted Luke from the pillar

.

"**_No!_** I **love **you. Leia-I can't **lose **you! I-"

Luke's hand gripping Leia's arm above the wrist

.

"You're **slipping!**"

slipping from behind the pillar, Luke's arm wrapped around a pod growing from the pillar

"Luke...! I-it's **no...use...!**"

.

true

outside - the gap in the hull of the ship collapses

inside - leia's wrist slides from Luke's grip

.

except...

outside - the large gap shrinks as holes form and shrink

inside - Leia's palm slides out of Luke's grip

.

...**other **forces are involved.

outside - smaller holes finally seal and fade as if a tear mends

inside - leia's fingers slip from Luke's dropping away as the winds pull

.

forces strange...and seemingly whimsical.

as the winds stop, Leia drops to the floor six feet from Luke

"Don't **believe **it...! one moment we're on the verge of death-"

"-the next, everything **stops!** as if it never happened!"

Luke drops to the floor, the rubbery pod he's holding lowering him to his feet

"Insanity...!"

Luke runs to Leia's side

"'Least it's working in our **favor **now. but I can't figure why-"

.

"You...**care **for each other. I had **forgotten **about such...caring. I've forgotten **many **things-"

eyes wandering the walls, the two listen to the odd voice

* * *

"-perhaps there is **good** in your reminding me."

the wall opens like some odd combination of flesh and water

.

"Come! this way! we can...**talk**."

"Yes! talk! I've **missed **talking... talking with **others**."

.

the two walk through the arch, Luke keeping his hands on his belted lightsaber

"Here! that's it...don't be afraid!"

"I was ...**like **you once, once...before I became one with the ship...with the computer..."

"but **watch!** watch the **screen!** I...we...the ship...me..."

.

"...we'll show you, **show **how it...**used **to be..."

a sad, level stare watching the screen, as Luke and Leia stand behind the pilot

"..when there were **many **ships like this one. and we...we made...what did we **call **it? oh, yes.."

"Yes...! it's all there...it comes back. we called it..."

* * *

"...**war.**"

"But one by one, the ships **destroyed **each other..."

the great command screen shows a view of the green podship fighting and winning over a brown mushroom style organic ship

"Until, after one last battle...only **my **ship survived. the war was **over**."

.

"My crew and I came home **victors**. only to find..."

armored troopers march over a barren wasteland of killed vegitation and corpses painted red by the dust in the air

all that lived, was dead

"...as a final gesture, our enemy had released a **plague bomb.**"

.

"There was no one left. families, friends, evey last soul...dead. and the plague was still **active.**"

"It contained corrosive agents which could penetrate space armor. I made it back to the ship in time. no one **else **did."

"I fled, **someone **had to survive, otherwise...it all ment nothing. the plague could spread from"

"Planet to planet throughout my galaxy. I had to go **beyond**...outside, the ship and I...riding...riding through the void..."

the form of the pilot stilled in the memory of what had been

.

"We **fused **in time...the computer, the ship, and I. my consciousness symbiotically linked to its organic,"

"self-perpetuating control systems. all of us riding...endlessly riding...away from plagues, time is nothing and we have our **games**, our..."

.

watching the command screen Luke and Leia's eyes brighten with hope

"Luke...on the screen! that's-"

.

"-our **galaxy!** while he's been talking, we've been traveling **back!**"

tracking the traces of the cargo ships hyperspace trail, the tracking and targeting system focuses and narrows to a specific region

"Perhaps, perhaps." chants pilot

"or perhaps its an **amusement **the computer is creating."

"**What...?!**" breathes Luke

.

"Our **games!** that's what I thought you two were."

the podship flows through hyperspace with stunning speed, diving toward the local galaxy

"That's what **this **may be."

Luke focuses on recognizable systems and areas of the galaxy

"No! it's still **there **as we drop out of hyperdrive. It's real...it's our **home!**"

Luckily the actual process went smoothly

* * *

arrival, not quite so

and home, unfortunately, is where the galactic empire and its agents wait.

command floor of the star destroyer

lit by red lights the command staff of the ship scramble at the consoles

"That's **it **captain! the huge mass that's had our scanners going wild."

captain moving forward looks over the approaching mass

"Apperaring in nearly the same spot where we lost those **rebels **earlier...!"

.

as a parent to a child, the podship looms over the star destroyer

"It can't be **coincidence!**" the capain states, looking over the towering oddity

"This is some monstrous **trick **of the rebel alliance!"

the second officer shuddering, reports,

"W-we're getting confused **life readings,** sir. and on the **communicator-**"

"-there's **laughter**. insane laughter!"

.

"Leia! that's the imperial cruiser that was **pursuing **us before!"

"Ship...! you're in **danger!** get **out **of here or else-"

fear on the two guests, Luke tries to warn pilot

.

too late.

turbo-lasers fire from the port side of the attacking star destroyer

the star destroyer captain deals with the **unknown **in the same way in which the empire handles **most **problems...

.

**...violently!**

on the podship, the command room of the pilot lights up, lights flare to white,

shuddering from the attack, hard enough to throw Leia and Luke to the floor

as the empires attack slams into the podship

* * *

"**There!** let them laugh about **that!** and while they're reeling, our **attack squadrons** will rip them to pieces!"

laser fire from the two TIE fighters rips into the shipskin of the massive vessel causing rippled writhing of the pod tendrils towering them

the ships commander and his second watch the display as sensor techs analyxe and report from the side

"Scanners indicate that thing is some kind of bio-mechanical **organism**, sir...capable of sealing off damage with fantastic swiftness."

"But with a scattered constant pattern of hits...we can **overtax **its recovery system."

.

rapid fire shots from the circling and weaving TIE fighters hammer into the massive vessel, dropping Luke and Leia to their knees on the floor

"Pain, computer...I feel **pain**. no fun in that. you're making it too real...**too real!**"

debre and organic hull bits scatter from every salvo strike

.

"It is real...you've dropped into the middle of a **war! our** war!"

Luke shouts his hands holding Leia's shoulders bracing her, Leia shouts to pilot

"**Listen **to us...! this is an enemy deadly as the ones who released the plague in **your **galaxy!"

"They won't stop until we're **all **dead!"

.

"I **hear **you...it's just...**strange**. after so many eons...so many games..."

outside, the hull opens and pod like spheres shoot from the breach

"Hard to believe we still aren't **playing...**"

but what shoots forth from a newly opened fissure...

* * *

...are definitely not **toys! **

like windshifted bubbles they slide along the hull impacting on the circling enemy fighters

the lead fighter explodes from a single podstrike "W-what **are **those things...?!" gasps Luke

.

the reply of the behemoths pilot

"Anti-matter pods-"

Leia behind him as he moves forward, her face shocked, and eyes wide

.

"When they make contact with **matter**-"

flowing around the hull the second Tie dies in an explosion four times its size

.

like scattering pollen the remaining pods flow towards the star destroyer

"-there can be only **one **result-"

in the star destroyers command bridge, terror reigns supreme causing the imperials panic

as pods slide through shields unaffected

.

pilot's monitor flares white as the star desroyer ceases to exist, scattered debre exploding away from the enemy ship

"-instant disintegration." finishes pilots calm explanation

"Over, all over now. you...you can safely resume **your **journey as we...I...resume **mine**."

with almost shell shocked calm the duo listen to pilot

* * *

"Your ship has been **repaired**...you should have no further trouble. "

the duo leave the pilot and the command room returning to their ship

turning and looking back in pilots direction, "But what about **you**...?" Luke inquires

.

"This is a big galaxy, why not stay **here?**"

Luke asks, climbing the spice freighters ramp with Leia ahead

.

sealed up in their ship, a fissure to space opens and the freighter flies out the center, launched back to open space

"Your galaxy is too **real**, my friends. It reminds me of **another**-"

.

"-which I traveled light years to **escape**. I wish you well...but I see now I **belong **to the void."

.

"Riding...me, the ship, the computer, our games."

grinning Leia watches the mammoth ship slide away accelerating

.

"May you in time win **happiness **here! mine...ours...is **out there.**"

shrinking with distance, against the background of stars

.

and laughter rises from the communicator. perhaps mad, perhaps not.

it is difficult to tell...

...for very shortly, it is gone.

* * *

new material

omake 1

from fanfiction-RobLucci666

.

as the great ship slides past spinning debre from the ruined star destroyer

sensors detect energy and pulls the surviving escape pods, contents and debre aboard

"Waste not, want not"

"New toys, for the games."

chants pilot

"Recycling in its most entertaining form."

"Hmm, what was the old zombie chant?"

"recycle, reuse, reanimate"

"That was it!"

"Nanoo-Nanoo"

* * *

new material omake 2

.

"This is going to be quite a story", Luke mutters under his breath

.

"Ship is like its nearly brand new, hull panels looking pristine compared to some of the other old worn panels"

"after the repairs, even panels hit by the laser scoring that caused it all to go haywire look new."

.

Leia leans against the hull, "Well we escaped a destroyer"

"Watched its destruction,"

"but they will never believe we did it or who did it."

"they just won't believe us, if we tell them."

.

"Check the med supplies" Luke points to the cargo and engineeering bay

"If they're ok then we'll just report a successful run" Luke calls to Leia as she slides down the ladder to the cabin

.

"Luke we may have greater problems."

Leia calls from the hold yelping

"The power core and shield generator look like some sort of metal crystal sculpture"

a short pause

"and our hyperdrive looks like some form of amber rubics cube under glass"

.

checking under the formerly damaged panels Luke shouts down to his partner

"Leia, the computer and sensors here on the bridge? under the panels"

"they look like some of that goo food you tried to feed me a couple weeks ago"

setting the alarms and autopilot, Luke heads down into the ship

.

"Looks like we have something to back up our story"

"Do you think the cargo of med supplies is in better shape?"

.

you start at this end and I'll work the other

minutes later

"Leia, the crated baccta tank is humming"

the pair remove the side of the oversize crate

revealing an active medical droid, and a running baccta tank with a wounded teen floating in it

the medical droid activates as leia accesses the readout controls on the baccta tank

placing the holocom projector down the med droid activates the emitter, showing a confident figure

.

excited "Luke, that's the smuggler who sold us out to the empire."

.

the shimmering image speaking

"You are probably intending to ask 'why did you give us a kid?' well..."

.

"He was in the imperial supplies from the Geonosis supplies we stole"

"Kid was found on the outer rim world of Ibonihs, somehow staying alive despite the hole through the chest."

"he somehow caught the attention of one of his probes."

.

he was being sent it to clone world-Geonosis to be analyzed for duplication/mass production.

the hybernation tank was damaged in the escape, we repaired it, modified it to work as a baccta tank, tossed the kid in to test it

it was added to a cargo of new proto-type material for mass production

.

"Hilariously, the captain of the destroyer did not know where the supplies came from."

"Before he set this ambush up."

"The emperor will be most displeased losing one of his latest weapons of war."

.

"I don't like being used as bait to lure rebels."

"Thus when the trap was set up, I gave him to you to use/have."

"Better you than the emperor."

.

"I just move the goods, have fun."

"See you again some time."

the holo image grins at the watchers

"Trust me, Corsair out."

* * *

AUTHORS NOTES

this is to provide/adapt an old star wars comic as a possible story base in fan fiction

was considered canon by star wars fans as was authorized by Lucas Arts

via marvel

living warships

antimatter organic attack missile/pods

nano-metalic walls

pilots linked to ships and ship control systems

nano-living repair systems

enjoy

kudos to emperor Lucas

and his minions the dreamers

that craft his ideas

now,

what will Disney craft?


End file.
